Summary:
Since Claudia's ashes weren't scattered after Armand and his
troupe allowed her to be burned by the sun, she still lives on…she
slowly regains her strength and decides to take her revenge on Armand
and Lestat.

Disclaimer:
I do not own Claudia or any of the characters in this story, with the
exception of Gabrielle Smith.

Chapter
1: Oh sweet pain, my driving force

Paris:
1905: Sundown

Long
after the Theatre des Vampires has burned down, the ruins still
remain. Once populated by a fantastic troupe of blood thirsty
vampires, it is now a place where only the ashes of those and rats
remain. A place rank with disease, a long forgotten evil, and a
slight stirring of life. Down, deep down in the dungeons, where the
vampire Armand and Celeste, among the rest of his followers made
their lair, the slightest of slight rustlings is heard. Another rat?
Perhaps a stray cat? No…the noise's source is larger than either
the former or the latter…past Armand's long forgotten private
quarters, in a solitary cell, here is the being.

Burned
to black beyond recognition, still dressed in a small yellow dress,
it slowly stirs to semi-consciousness. Short, raspy breaths emerge
from its wrinkled form. Fingers grasping at nothing, a head
distinguished by a headful of curly blonde hair, its eyes slowly
open. It gasps frightfully and quivers for but a moment. Glancing
around the cell, looking fearfully up at a grate that used to show
the outside world, but now shows only signs of rubble, realization
dawns. I'm alive…after being mercilessly burned by daylight,
after being imprisoned and watching them take away…my
Louis…glancing down at her tiny, child-like hands, she grits
her teeth. They ruined my life. Or at least what was left of it.
They tore me from my father…my lover. A large rat suddenly
scurries across the stone floor. Moving rather sluggishly, she
manages to catch it. A rat. I should not be reduced to surviving
off these. Louis used to…no I must not think of Louis. No…why
should I be feeding off of these pathetic excuses for a living being,
while I used to feed off of the best that the world had to offer.
She runs her tongue over her sharp incisors, relishing the cold,
sharp feeling. She brings the rat to her lips, and hungrily drinks
every last drop of its blood. It has been so long since I had a
proper meal. Far too long for any mortal to have survived. But me,
I'm immortal. I'm not like the fools who tried to put an end to
me! They may have done away with Madeline, but they did not with me.
Their actions against me cannot and will not be taken lightly.
Another unfortunate rat tried to get past her and met the same fate
as its predecessor. She slowly stood up and walked over to the now
open entrance to her cold cell.

Armand.
Lestat. Beware. You think that you have triumphed over me, but those
thoughts alone have cost you your well-being. From this day forward,
I, Claudia, will seek to destroy you and your kin.

A.N.:
Sorry! I know that the first chapter is really short, but it's
really more of an introduction or prologue. The second chapter will
be much longer, but will feature another main character's P.O.V. If
anyone is wondering (which I hope you aren't), the italicized parts
throughout this story will be the characters' thoughts. R&R!

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